Improvement in heel-stiffeners



i. R. R0 G ER S.

Heei-Stiffeners.

Patented Jan. 14, 1873.

Wij-@$3 6 $5 AM. P//o Ta-uTHasnAPH/c ca .w (ossom/E's Pm; cess) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ICHABOD R. ROGERS, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSLF, JOHN WOOLDREDGE, AND GEORGE E.'BARTLETT, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HEEL-STIFFENERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 134,933, dated January 14, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ICHABOD R. ROGERS, of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Heel-Stiftener; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawing which accompanies and forms part of this specification, is a description of my invention sucient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

My invention relates to a new construction of heel-stiffeners for boots and shoes. Such stit'teners have generally been made of leather, but as leather stock has become scarce and high, various constructions have been made as substitutes for leather, wood being used, canvas or duck, India-rubber and rubber compounds, and leather-board. But none of these materials form perfect substitutes for leather, and stifeners made from them are more or less liable to cripple or break down.

In my invention I use an inferior or thin `leather (lined with cloth) or cloth, or other suitable material suitably lined, and between the lining and outer or main piece, I insert a metal spring, which spring is shaped and imparts to the stiii'ener the requisite form and rigidity in the direction of its length, or from end to end, the strength and stiffness from top to bottom being also insured by the pressure ofthe spring and the bend that the spring imparts and retains.

My invention consists in this construction of a heel-stii'ener having between the main piece and the lining piece a suitable metal spring that shapes and rigidities the stiffener.

The drawing represents a heel-stift`ener embodying my construction.

a denotes the main piece, and b the lining to it. c is the spring inserted between them. To retain the spring in place it may be fastened at its opposite ends by rivets d, or may have spurs struck up from it, said spurs passing through to the outside and clincliing against the outer surface. The sprin g is placed sufficiently' high to enable the bottom edge of the stift'ener to be bent inward so that it may be secured by the fastenings that unite the upper and sole.

Heel-stiffeuers thus made are more perfect for their purpose than any now in use and although the spring is an item of expense, the improvement effected in the stiffener by its use, more than offsets its cost. They are less expensive, however, than goed leather stili'- eners.

I claim- Y A heel-stiftener having the narrow spring c inserted between the lining b and outer piece a, said spring being fastened in position substantially as described.

Executed this 21st dayof November, A. D. 1872.

IOHABOD E. ROGERS.

Witnesses:

CEAS. J. PioirEoRD, FRANCIS GoULD. 

